Show and Tell

Posted on 16 Jun 2023 @ 4:14pm by Ensign Lacera Felarx

Personal Quarters, Ensign Lacera Felarx: 15-Jun-2366 21:15

Preceded by a small black box being unnecessarily held with both hands, Lacera strolled into her quarters. She was met by an insistent and repetitive chime coming from the terminal on her desk. She made a beeline for the desk, seeing the terminal blinking with "INCOMING TRANSMISSION: th'Felarx, Ordim". Releasing one hand from the box, she tapped to open the channel to her uncle before she could finish sitting down.

"Real time out of nowhere. Is everything okay?" she asked.

Ordim did a double take as the channel connected. "That was going to be my question to you, kiddo. Great look, by the way. But it has been over a week now."

Lacera used her free hand to run her fingers through her hair. "That seems to be the consensus on it. I'm pretty happy with how it came out, too." She paused before continuing. "I know that's out of the norm for me, I didn't mean to worry you or anything. I've just been bu...well, distracted."

"A lot has been going on, so it seemed like a good time to talk for a bit." His eyes appeared to look down on the screen. "Is that what I think it is in your hands there?"

Lacera nodded, setting down the box she just realized she was still holding with one hand. "It was show and tell day in group. This felt like a good story to share."

Ordim smiled, partially at the knowledge that she was actually going to group therapy and partially at the story of the phaser. "I still remember the look on your face when you fired that first shot. No surprise, just a grin with a hint of smug satisfaction at showing me up."

She shook her head, trying but failing to look angry, "And I recall wanting to smack you a few days later when I figured out that a focusing module doesn't crack that way through normal use. Though at least now I can appreciate the poetry of your choice of components to sabotage."

"Zaloh always had a soft spot for literature, so I'd like to think she'd have approved. Besides, you have to admit, no matter what was wrong with it you would have sat there for days until you figured it out."

"Mmmhmm." Lacera noncommittally responded as she thought for a moment at the mention of her mother's name. She continued in a softer tone. "Your birthdays are coming up soon. If I was closer to home, I'd have liked to visit."

"Visit me, or visit her?"

"I meant you." She reflected for a moment on the earlier mention of family during group, feeling a bit of that same conflict right now. "You know very well I haven't been back there in twelve years now."

"Maybe the next time you're in the area, it's time to consider changing that. You don't have to go alone, you know."

Lacera hesitated before relenting somewhat. "I'll have to think about it." She decided to shift the subject. "So...it's a milestone birthday. What do you have planned?"

Ordim shook his head, looking as if he knew exactly what Lacera was doing. "The team here is throwing a party for it. If you remember Lieutenant Commander Connelly, she was going to try her hand at some spice bread."

"Lieutenant Commander? Wow, I missed that. She did seem to have a thing for cooking. Let me know how it comes out."

"I will." Ordim's face turned serious, with a spot of concern, "Real quick though, how _are_ you doing?"

Lacera deflated a bit, putting her elbows on the desk and resting her chin on her hands. "Going right for the throat, I see." She thought over the events of the past week and a half or so, almost weighing the ups and the downs, as Ordim patiently looked on. Eventually, she gave a slight smile and simply said, "I'm doing better."

Ordim smiled back, much broader than Lacera's. "It's a marathon, not a sprint, Lacera. Keep at it and you'll cross the finish line."

Lacera let her smile grow slightly. "I will." Glancing back to the box, she asked, "You know, I did get a question about the origin of the phaser. Did you get it from another collector, or maybe a museum getting rid of excess items? There was a bit of speculation about it."

Ordim couldn't hold back a chuckle, "You know, here I was thinking I'd get away with that one forever. It came from a collector, of sorts."

"Well...don't keep me in suspense here."

With a smirk Ordim replied, "The collector's name was 'lost and found'."

Lacera buried her face in her hands, laughing. "You're an asshole sometimes, you know that?"

"Oh, I definitely know that. But until a moment ago, you didn't."

Lacera shook her head, "Good night, Ordim." She reached out and closed the channel.